Opinion

The end of the financial year is closing in fast after what has been a tumultuous period for many in Australia. Despite a reasonably uneventful year for superannuation legislation and policy changes, opportunities abound for superannuants and investors of all kinds. One of the most important roles of a financial adviser is to prompt and…

The semi-conductor (or “chip”) industry is in a worldwide, and well-understood, chip shortage following higher-than-expected demands during Covid-19 and a temporary shutdown at most manufacturing plants. Chips are an essential component at the heart of economic growth, security, and technological innovation. As technologies such as 5G, driverless cars, IoT and Artificial Intelligence roll-out more widely,…

Last year APRA ordered the big four banks to slash their dividends to conserve capital due to the COVID-19 pandemic; not that it was required, as boards had already decided to hoard as much capital as they could. Shareholders were dealt a rather large blow, especially self-retirees and super fund members. Banks have always been…

BetMakers Technology Group (ASX: BET) makes a $4 billion proposal to buy Tabcorp’s wagering unit. It bids higher than competing offers by Entain and Apollo. BetMakers shares fall, TAH shares rise. BetMakers has lobbed a $4bn takeover offer to buy all the shares in pokies and wagering business Tabcorp Holdings (ASX: TAH). Under the BetMakers…

May was an amazing month for the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) share price, which surged 12% over the month, managing to breach $100 for the first time. What’s happening to the CBA share price? CBA has been a strong performer since the worst of the COVID-19 crash. The bank’s loan book has held up well,…

Last week I spoke with Ryan Legudi, managing director at Salter Brothers Capital to get a better understanding of the upcoming debut of the Salter Brothers Emerging Companies LIC (listed investment company) on the ASX. It is currently slated for a 10 June listing. The firm, headed up by co-founders Paul and Robert Salter, is…

Prime Minister Scott Morrison took the opportunity at this week’s Liberal Party Meeting to confirm that the minimum pension drawdown standards would be reduced for another financial year. The so-called COVID-19 measures were set to apply for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 financial years in light of the ‘financial losses’ experienced by investors during the pandemic….

Shares in buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) Zip Co Ltd (ASX: Z1P) have been trading relatively flat despite recently providing the market with further details on its European and Middle Eastern expansion plan. Zip’s shares are up just short of 100% over the past 12 months, but still down 51% from their lofty highs reached earlier this year. Z1P share price Expansion…

Monash Absolute Investment Company (ASX: MA1) has announced that it is undertaking a restructure from shares held in the listed investment company (LIC) into a newly established exchange-traded managed fund (ETMF), to be known as the Monash Absolute Active Trust (ASX: MAAT). Why is Monash doing this? The move from LIC to ETMF will mark…

It has been a wacky year so far.  Stocks that did well during Covid-19, dubbed the “Covid-winners” such as electronics and homeware retailers Kogan (ASX: KGN) and Afterpay (ASX: APT), have been absolutely smashed, losing 44% and 30% in the last three months respectively. Kogan last week announced a profit warning: because it failed to…

Put simply, Esports is computer gaming at its highest level. It’s playing games against other people at a professional level, not gambling. Yes, there is such a thing. And they draw big crowds at huge arenas with contestants winning huge sums of money as prizes. In the same way that football and cricket players are…

The EML Payments Ltd (ASX: EML) share price dropped by as much as 45% on Wednesday morning. Why has the EML share price been almost cut in half? EML share price Concerns raised by the Central Bank of Ireland EML’s Irish-regulated subsidiary, PFS Card Services (Ireland) Limited (PCSIL), received a letter from the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) that…